Hey whats up guys... I've been reading through the motorcycle forum here for a while now. I know its kind of dead most of the time since I guess theres not too many rideres here on HT. I just wanted to let my fellow Honda-Techies know theres a newbie to the forum. ME! I passed my MSF course yesterday!!! So now I'm just waiting for the certificate to come in so I can take the DMV written test and get the M1 stamped on my drivers lincese.

I have never ridden before till the MSF class. Except for playing with the clutch and throttle in the parking lot. That class taught me alot about being safe and how to control the bike the RIGHT way and how to keep and get yourself out of trouble situations. I know it was kind of a squid move, but I bought my bike last weekend. 2 days before my MSF course. I was looking for a good beginner bike for about a month now. Looked at the F2s, F3s, and the Yamaha FZR. The F2s around my area always went quick and for a high premium. I would have loved to pick that up as a first starter bike, but the opportunity never presented itself within my budget.

I ended up getting a 1995 Yamaha FZR 600 with 22k miles. I took my buddies that know about bikes to check it out. One who rides in AMF test rode the bike for me. He said he can take the twisties faster in my bike than he can now in his R1. Which for me gave me inspiration and immidiately sold me. I know full well my skills are nowhere near that. But it is something to look forward to.

Right now it's raining in Northern Cali but I'm hoping for the best this weekend cuz I cant wait to ride MY bike for the first time around the block.

BTW: I'm going to be borrowing gear from my friends for a now so I'm currently shopping for a new helmet and some gloves now. Anyone have any suggestions?

 

congrats and welcome

Look at Joe Rocket, First Gear, Alpinestars and Sidi. You cant go wrong with those. http://www.epowersports.com has the best price on Joe Rocket Phoenix textile jackets right now, although they take a while to deliver.





[Modified by figment, 1:28 PM 3/7/2002]

 

Nice, I gotta take the MSF vourse over the summer, so I have an incentive to save $ for a bike.

 

Congrats! Yeah, that little M1 stamp is pretty damn cool. Besides, it keeps the C company.

My friend had a YZF600, too. Last I heard, he was trying to sell it. I wonder if you bought it...??

See how well your friends' gear fits ya. That'll help you decide. I love my Shoei, but there's a lot of lids (Arai, HJC, KBC, etc. etc.) out there, so find one that fits, as well as appeals to, you. And although they told you this in the MSF class, just to remind you, make sure it's DOT and Snell approved.

Man, that MSF class was fun! Does anyone remember if they charge you to take the refresher course...?


[Modified by marmaladeboy, 7:44 PM 3/7/2002]

 

Thanks for the welcomes guys. I'm sooo stoked about taking my bike out on the road for the first time! All I could think about for the past week was about riding. All I want to do this weekend is go and practice the things I learned in the MSF course.

As far as the gear goes, I tried on my friends Shoei helmet for a while. It was pretty comfortable and well ventelated. I also tried an Arai one but I think my friends helmet is a little too smal. I have to try another Arai that will fit me better to help me decide. What are your expereinces with AGV helmets? I saw a couple online for a pretty decent price.

marmaladeboy: actually I got an 95 FZR, the older brother to the YZFs. It looks alot like the 90 GSXRs with its dual headlights (reminds me alot of my teg). I'll post pics up when I have time.

Does anyone have any recomendations to any websites that have how tos and steps on general bike maintenance. Like how to clean/wash the fairings as well as the motor etc?

 

Oops. Apparently, I can't read. My bad.

 

Well just in case anyone else gets confused... Here is the before pic... The day after I brought her home.

 

AGV lids are nice, I've got the Whitham replica X-Vent. Initially they're a very tight fit, but they'll loosen up with wear. Pretty quiet at highway speeds, too. As for bike maintenance, etc, here are lots of sites out there, but I've found you'll get pretty good responses on either http://www.esportbike.com or http://www.sportbikeworld.com. Or you could just post here, where there are fewer posters to muddy the water

 

Welcome to the wonderful world of motorcycling. That's a nice looking FZR. My first street bike was a 1989 FZR400 which I loved. I bought an HJC helmet because i didn't want to spend alot but ended up buying a Shoei one year later because it is so much more comfotable. My advice is to buy quality gear in the first place. I have Teknic boots, gloves, and leathers. I also own a waterprooof Rhyno textile suit for the long trips. You only mentioned a helmt and gloves but I hope you're planning to buy boots and a suit. A friend of mine crashed while weaing jeans and a sweatshirt and he can tell you jeans don't hold up well when you're sliding along the road.

 

Thanks for the tips guys. I'm still actually looking around for a helmet. I narrowed it down to a couple of the Shoei models. The Shoei RF-900 Blade or the Shoei TZ-1 Cyclone. But for now I still have my friends helmet that I'm borrowing. Although I haven't ridden the bike except for that one day right after passing the MSF class.

As of right now. The FZR is chilling in the garage on stands. I won a used starter on eBay for $20 including shipping! So it should be in any day now. I also got a hold of some new Bridgestone Battlax tires for it that are waiting to be mounted. The Dunlops that are on there now are just straight out flat right down the middle. With the new bridgestones, I plan on keeping them well rounded.

As far as the gear goes, the helmet is on its way, the Jacket I will most likely pick up this weekend along with the gloves. As far as boots and pants goes, since I'm on a budget, they will have to wait. For now I've been told a sturdy pair of boots and jeans will do me well. Just as long as I have my helmet, jacket, and gloves on.

 

Either of those shoei helmets would be great. I have the RF800 which has now been replaced by the 900. I understand you're on a budget but I think you should consider pants now. You ususally get the pants cheaper when they are bought with a jacket. I only paid a little more for my Teknic leather jacket and pants than the asking price for the jacket. It will cost you more in the long run if you buy them separately plus you might not find the pants to match the jacket later. As for boots, you should check an army surplus store for some cheap sturdy boots if you don't buy motorcycle specific ones. Which Batallax tires are you going to put on the FZR? I've been running 020's on my SV and they've been great. The 010's are a softer compound which provides more grip but they only last half as long as the 020's which still grip well. They're both the same price too. If you plan on riding alot of miles like I do, you might want to get the 020's, unless you don't mind paying for tires often.

 

Well the Jacket I'm getting will be basically for summer use for now. Full leathers will have to come later. I know some friends who race in AFM (?) and they should be able to get me a good deal on those down the road. Until then, I just want to practice on the street and try to keep the rubber side down! hehe

As far as the tires go, I went with the

Bridgestone Battlax BT-56SS
Front: Bridgestone Battlax BT56ss 110/70ZR17
Rear: Bridgestone Battlax BT56ss 150/60ZR18

I would have gone with the 010's but like you said, they wear out kind of quick. I've been digging through the FZR boards and getting every single detail of the bike I could. According to the majority of FZR owners, these tires seam to be one of the best out there for the funky 18" rear rim for the FZR.

BTW: I'm loving working on bikes now. Theres so little u have to do. I even steam cleaned the engine and whatever I could get my hands on. The only thing thats scaring me right now are those daym carbs. I've never worked with carbs my entire life. I guess thats when I'm going to have to drop it off at the shop.

Short list of goodies I found on the FZR this weekend:
K&N replacement filter
Yoshimura slip on (not sure what model)
Stage 1 jet kit (not sure what brand either)